Sudan protest organisers reject military council’s new announcement

Sudan’s main protest organizing group on Friday rejected the transitional military council promise to set up a civilian government and hand over power to an elected president within two years

“Our demands are clear, just and legitimate, but the regime’s security committee are not capable of creating change, and they do not have the safety and stability to stay in power,” the Sudanese Professionals Association said in a statement.

“This is not to mention the peaceful demands of handing over power to a transitional civilian government as one of the conditions that needs to be implemented.”

President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan in autocratic style for 30 years, was overthrown and arrested in a coup by the armed forces on Thursday, but protesters took to the streets demanding the military hand over power to civilians.

The ouster of Bashir (75) followed months of demonstrations against his rule.

In an address on state television, Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf, announced a two-year period of military rule to be followed by presidential elections.

He said Bashir was being detained in a “safe place” and a military council would now run the country.